Bretagne, a sagely old Golden Retriever who was one of the first responders tasked with searching for survivors in the rubble after 9/11, received a hero’s welcome when she arrived in New York to celebrate her 16th birthday.

“Responding to the World Trade Center was our first deployment. We were there to try to find survivors,” said Bretagne’s handler Denise Corliss. “When our taskforce arrived in ground zero, I just couldn’t believe the magnitude of it. Then I looked down to her and she seemed stoked and ready to work.”

Bretagne, who retired in 2008, had tons of doggie surprises in store for her on her birthday, including a gourmet burger, the keys to the Hudson River dog park, and an awesome birthday party with plenty of adoring fans!

“She is a 16-year-old now, but when you are around water with her, she acts like a young puppy,” said Corliss. 1 Hotel Central Park, which hosted the party, also donated $1,000 to Texas Task Force 1, which trains K-9 first responder dogs like Bretagne. Source

I wish there was a global 'thank your pet for their service' day. Any pet. Working dogs are incredibly special to the public, or blind - but billions of animals globally offer what mine does on a daily basis - comfort, unconditional love, play, support, encouragement, affection. This cannot be underestimated - many are our best friends.